


Tricks and Terrors

by SupahYellowSentai



Series: Fem!Sam Stories [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Awesome Bobby Singer, Case Fic, Female Sam Winchester, Gen, Monster of the Week, Parental Bobby Singer, Protective Siblings, Scary Clowns, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Weirdness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-02-10 06:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12906081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupahYellowSentai/pseuds/SupahYellowSentai
Summary: After getting a call, Sam and Dean rush to the aid of a friend in the midst of a hunt in a town plagued with weird deaths, and odd sightings. FEM!Sam Casefic!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So with the monster of this story, which I wont reveal yet. I took liberties. I'm just throwing that out right now.
> 
> And it is completed. It's just a matter of posting once a week.

"D'n-" Sam frowned and rolled over in her sleep and started feeling for her phone. She laid her hand on the phone sitting under her pillow and realized it wasn't the one ringing. It took her sleepy mind a second to process that it was Dean's ringtone. "D'n- 's yer phone…"

She heard her brother moan from the other bed and shift to his side. Sam lifted a pillow and tossed it blindly to the other bed. There was a muffled angry groan from the other bed, and she heard Dean's hand scramble on the bedside table to find the phone. By the time he'd found it the call had gone to voicemail. "I'll check it in the morning." He dropped the phone back on the table with a thump and rolled back over to hug his pillow.

Sam didn't say anything she put her arm over eyes and allowed sleep to wash over her. They were just finished with a hunt, and for the first time in a while they had a comfortable bed to sleep in for the night. She was nearly completely asleep when the phone under her pillow buzzed. Sam rolled back onto her stomach and slipped her hand under the pillow and pulled out the phone.

"Lord help the moron calling at this hour." Sam moaned before she flipped up the phone and accepted the call. "'Ello?"

"Is this Sam Wessin?" A professional voice spoke clearly from the other line. For a second she couldn't compute gender.

"Yes, this is Sam Wessin. How can I help you?" Sam gave up on the concept of sleep and sat up again giving a loud yawn.

"I apologize for calling at such an hour but the gentleman listed you as one of his emergency contacts." The voice was defiantly a tenor male.

Sam rubbed her eyes. "Huh? Emergency contact?" She worked her sleep addled mind. Wait Emergency contact? Sam pushed herself up suddenly from the bed and sat up. "Who is this? Where are you calling from?"

She heard the other bed's coils squealed as Dean sat up. She could feel her brother's eyes land on her but she didn't turn to look at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Nick and I'm with the Baptist Emergency Hospital and we have a patient here by the name of Robert Sounder."

Shit. Sam ran a hand through her head, and thought back to the last time she had spoken to the old man. Did he even mention what he was hunting or where? Did she even bother to ask? "Bobby? Is he okay?" Okay stupid question. Why else would they be calling?

Dean inhaled from the next bed at the mention of their Uncle's name.

"Unfortunately I cannot discuss his condition over the phone. Is there any way that you could come?"

"Of course." Sam slipped her feet off the bed and stood up anxiously. "Where is the hospital?"

The conversation lasted a few more minutes while Dean tugging on his jeans on the other side of the room and tugging on his over shirt. Sam took the pad of paper resting on the bedside table and scribbled down an address. When she finally closed the phone and turned to look at her brother she waved the paper.

"We're about four hours out."

Dean started shoving weapons back into the duffle while Sam started collecting the few belongings that had been removed from their own bags.

"Did the hospital say what happened?" Dean asked over his shoulder while he continued to pack.

"Nope the usual crap."

"Ah, if I told you I'd have to kill you guy. Classic." Dean zipped up the duffle and dropped it next to the door. "Well, we're rolling out in ten. So get dressed and plot the route, because you're playing navigator."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever you say Optimus."

****

<<<>>>

****

****  


They were not too surprised when Bobby turned up missing at the hospital. In fact it calmed them greatly to know that the old man had escaped under his own steam. The poor nurse, who had allowed him to escape in the changing of the guards, was visibly troubled that the grumpy man had given her the slip.

Dean used all the charisma he had to console the poor nurse, get her number, and inform her that if he located their uncle they would call and inform the hospital. Which didn't prove to be too difficult. There were two motels in the town and one expensive hotel. They found the man's truck at the motel with the flickering sign and so many bulbs out that the actual illuminated word proved to be offensive. Inside it didn't take too much coaxing to find out that an hour earlier Bobby had rented room 223 all the way at the back of the building. So while Dean parked the car Sam walked up the steps and knocked on the door.

There was no response and Sam raised her hand to knock again and let the old man know that it was her on the other side of the door and not some spook. She didn't get the chance. There was the sound of the locks turning though and the door opened and Bobby's head was visible through the crack of the door. He cussed when he saw the girl.

"Nice to see you too Bobby." Sam rolled her eyes and waited. "You want to put the gun away and let us in?"

Bobby opened the door wider and slipped the gun he'd been concealing behind the door down. "What are you two idjits doing here?"

"Got a call from the hospital." Sam glanced back and saw Dean coming up behind. "We were concerned."

"Balls." Bobby ushered the two in and instinctively glanced around before shutting and locking the door behind him. Now in the room the siblings could tell the man was shuffling around like he was in pain, and disturbingly pale. He sat back down on the mattress and rubbed at his scruff. "I told them I was fine and that they didn't need to call anyone."

"If you didn't need to call anyone then why did you fill out our names and numbers on the emergency contact form?" Dean remembered seeing Bobby's messy sloped handwriting on the form. He'd written Dean's name first, and had enough sense to stop the I in Winchester and turn into an E for Wessin.

Bobby repeated his favored curse and absentmindedly put a hand to his side. "They had me on so much crap I probably signed over the Salvage to the Girl Scouts of America."

Sam hadn't ignored the man's movements. She knelt in front of the older man and frowned. "Joking aside, Bobby, you got stabbed." She started tugging up the older man's shirt and gave him a stern look when he refused to let it go up any further. "So help me Singer, if you don't let me look at this wound, I'm knocking you out myself and taking you heavy ass back to the ER."

The man's eyes widened at her sudden protectiveness.

"I know we call you Uncle, but you're the last father figure I've got. So if I get a call from the hospital saying to come. I'm coming. Hell, can you remember all those time that you've driven three, ten, or even twenty four hours to come help us. Well this is repayment. Now don't take this the wrong way but take your shirt off. NOW." Sam had risen up to full height and was towering over the smaller man. Her hands naturally found themselves on her hips as she eyed him like a petulant child.

It took a few stunned seconds of silence from both men, but eventually Bobby shrugged off his shirt the best he could without aggravating the stitches and allowed Sam to remove the bandage just enough to get a look. The wound itself was fairly small, only requiring a few stitches. Sam wasn't concerned with the outward injury though she was more concerned with what happened internally. A swell of bruising started from his stomach and trailed to the stitched side, but it looked like whoever jumped the man got in a few lucky punches.

"What happened?" Sam asked. Sure she'd gotten a Cliff Notes version from the hospital, but they rarely got the entire story.

Bobby cleared his throat and wiped away suspicious moisture from his eyes. "I uh- I was at a bar. Just driven in and was beginning to ask questions, when I'd finally left the bar I must have pissed off a few of the locals because they cornered me in an alley. I had the upper hand, until one of the buggers came up behind with a knife. Must have passed out because I woke up with Nurse Cratchet trying to give me a sponge bath."

"You get her number?" Dean winked from across the room. He cleared his throat and looked awkwardly at the ground when both Bobby and Sam shot him stern looks. "Just trying to lighten the mood…" Dean mumbled under his breath. He cleared his throat again and looked up after he'd composed himself. "So what were you hunting anyways?"

"Don't know." Bobby grunted as he tugged back on his shirt with Sam's help. "I suspected your friend Loki, but we killed the thing, plus it's just beyond his style."

Dean frowned. "Okay, start from the beginning."

"Man jumped out of a two story building two weeks ago and shattered his leg on the concrete. He claims that there were gnomes in his living room and that they were trying to eat him. A woman was grabbed by a strange tall, furry man in an alley and is raped. Three days later she's got a baby bump and sonograms are inconclusive as to what the baby is. Her boyfriend shot and killed her claiming there was a demon in her. When they autopsied her there was no sign of a baby." Bobby picked up the local newspaper bombarded with pen marks and notes. "A hiker is found dead on a marked trail. She'd been missing a week and the only tracks are hers expect they start and end at about a mile. According to the police she somehow walked the same trail over and over again."

Sam whistled. "That's a whole lot of strange."

"That's just the bad stuff. High school bully claims that on his walk home Chuckie, the doll, chased him home with a knife. Police chief had his truck disassembled and reassembled diagonally in his small office. Two love birds went out in the woods to- enjoy each other's company, and got chased out by a giant spider."

"Okay so whatever this is has an affinity for the weird." Sam commented quietly. "What if it is Loki, and he actually isn't dead."

Dean looked over at Sam offended. "I killed him myself. Besides, Bobby is right. The guy had style. Every trick he played had distinct ties to assholes and foolish ways for them to get their com-upens."

"I'm just saying that he was the Trickster. I say we start with patient zero, gnome man, ask around, and talk with him. And just go down the list." Sam read through the notes that had been scribbled on the newspaper next to their appropriate articles. "Maybe there is something ironic with their cases or maybe this is just something entirely new. Every culture does have their own version of a trickster."

"Fed suits?" Dean asked not even needing to verbally agree with Sam's plan.

"With the amount of weird I was just going to say journalist." Bobby grunted. "And who said I invited you two idjits to join this hunt."

"You're not pushing us away now Bobby, we're joining you on this hunt whether you like it or not." Dean gave his Uncle Bobby a smirk and patted the man on the shoulder as he headed towards the door. "I'll get us some coffee and food, and we can start asking around. Why don't you get us a room Sammy?"

****

<<<>>>

****

****  


By the afternoon Sam was certain this wasn't the Trickster up to no good. They'd started with Todd Clemmon's a cashier at the hardware store and he vividly recalled the gnomes. Except for being incredibly dull, he didn't seem the type to deserve the attack. And a good portion of the town agreed. On a more sensitive note Sandra Wilkinson was a sweet heart. She not only was a nurse at the hospital but she'd collect and donate food and clothes to the homeless shelter in the city just an hours drive away. More so she was a virgin. Apparently Sandra and her boyfriend, Jim, were waiting until marriage that was until he'd shot her. When they checked in with Jim, he claimed what Bobby had said before. They were waiting until marriage. He'd been supportive of his girlfriend when she'd been attacked and raped, but when the unholy thing started growing too rapidly in her stomach, and when they had the sonogram performed and he saw what really resided inside of her he knew he had to kill it. It had been a hard choice and it was still wearing on him as he rotted in his cell at the station. He was currently facing heavy charges.

Sam was currently leaving the scene in the woods. She'd slipped passed the yellow tape and managed a few shots, and inspected the footprints before slipping back out again. Sometimes small towns with limited police was a blessing in their job. She slipped her phone out of her pocket and dialed her brother.

Dean answered on the first ring and offered no pleasantries. "What did you find?"

Sam slipped out of the park and headed to the crosswalk. She glanced around to see if any vehicles were coming before crossing. "It's weird. There are more footsteps headed east than west. Which is impossible. If she was walking back and forth along the path-"

"There would be an equal set of prints going in both directions. So what, she teleported to the beginning over and over again?"

"I don't have any better theory's at the moment. What about you, did you check out the other cases?" Sam glanced over at the dark alley way ahead of her, she could cut through and the motel would be just a block away, or she could go all the way around the department store and. She opted for path A and started to walk through the alley.

"Yeah, our bully swears up and down that the creepy doll was after him, but neighbor says that all she saw was him screaming and running home. The police chief is furious but can't figure out how someone in an HOUR managed to break apart his car and put it back together in his tiny ass office." She heard the door to the Impala squeal. "I mean if I could do that I'd be making bank as a mechanic."

"Hear anything from Bobby?" Sam headed to end of the alley and suddenly felt her hair stand on end. She hesitated at the entrance. For some reason she felt a cold chill roll up the back of her neck. "Dean- I-"

"Bobby is currently still with the couple. He said he'll call when he's finished." Dean stated from the other line ignorant to his sister's last quiet statement.

"Dean…I- Pongo." Sam stated quietly now backing away from the mouth of the alley.

Dean chuckled from the other line. "What you finally lose your power over the English lang-" He paused. "Wait, what's wrong."

Sam blanched at the sound of a horn. A small hand held horn that she'd only noticed one horrifying thing hold. "If I had to guess, there are clowns…" Sam's breathing hitched as a painted face peered around the corner. "Okay, correction…there are clowns." She turned around and saw another poking his head around the dumpster at the other end. "Oh crap, I had to take the alley…"

"Okay, breath. They're not real…"

"They sure as hell look real." Sam's breathing got harsher. She turned to look at the first clown paled further when there was a third standing next to his friend. "There's three of them Dean. Three… Three fucking clowns…"

"Where are you? Sam calm down and breath slowly. Where are you?"

Sam skittered back as another clown rolled up on a unicycle. "Four…Now four…"

"Location Sam. I need a location."

Dean's desperate cry penetrated through the fear. Sam finally found the strength to think passed the clowns. "I- I'm a block away from the motel. Alley, near the department store… What- What do I do? What do I do Dean?"

"Run," Dean stated calmly. "Just run through them."

"Run? There are four of them and their blocking the exits! Your plan sucks." Sam was now back against the wall, literally.

"How many of these things have actually touched their victims?"

"Victims?" Sam gave a sharp cry that echoed through the alley.

"Poor word choice; just do it Sam!"

Sam gave a sharp inhale and pushed off the wall and used the force to rush forward.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So they do a little more research, and get help from a "friend"

Sam was fine. When Dean found her in the motel room she was fine. Except for her being hunched over breathing hard. Dean pushed her down on the bed content that she didn't seem to have any visible physical injuries. He slipped into the bathroom and filled one of the little paper cups with water, and dampened a towel. He put the towel around her neck and pressed the paper cup into her hands.

"Drink." Dean ordered sharply.

He ignored all of her claims of being fine, while he waited for her to drain the cup. Seeing any argument was futile when Dean was in Big-Brother-Mode she drained the cup and crumpled it in her hand. Neither of them could ignore her shaking hands.

"I'm fine…" Sam stated harshly. In fact she was. Just like Dean had said she had run clear through the clowns.

"Yeah except for the miniature panic attack that you just went through." Dean scoffed lightly moving a hand through her hair. "Just relax. I'm going to check in with Bobby."

Sam looked like she wanted to spit back a sarcastic response but bit it back when she saw the soft look on her big brother's face. She'd seen that face thousands of times before when they were younger. It was only reserved for her. "Okay."

Dean rubbed her head affectionately one more time before dialing Bobby's number. The phone rang once before the veteran hunter picked up.

"Hey Bobby, haven't heard from you in a while. How did the talk with the-?" Dean paused and Sam straightened on the bed while Dean's face hardened at the information he was being given. "Shit, how long ago? How did it happen?" He glanced over at his sister and thought better. "Give me one second to put you on speaker Bobby." Dean pulled the phone away from his ear, pressed speaker and sat down next to his sister. "Okay, talk."

_"He hung himself."_ Bobby said harshly from the other line. _"Jim Eddings hung himself in his cell. A man detoxing in a cell over says one of the cops came back there and starting ranting that he'd killed the baby, that he'd destroyed the life of his child. Our very drunk source says that the cop tossed Edding's a coil of rope and told him to kill himself, and if he didn't the cop would have to go in there himself and kill him."_

Dean glanced over at Sam confused. "How reliable is this source?"

_"Guy doesn't seem too with it. But he seems very certain. Although even I have to say that the next part gets even crazier. He claims mid way the cop transformed his head into a horse's head."_

"A horse?" Sam asked cautiously.

Bobby gave a rough laugh. _"That's what our intoxicated source said. Course I don't know what to believe."_

"Well according to our drunk, he seemed more concerned with the life of the fetus than the mother." Dean frowned.

"What if this is a Trickster of sorts?" Sam stated a little hesitantly. She stopped Dean short when he made an irritated face and opened his mouth to make a retort. "No I don't mean Loki, the Trickster God. I get it. You killed him dead; congrats. But seriously, Bobby. The illusions that are not solid, except for the furry man that impregnates a girl. Then the cop suddenly has a horse head…this could be a tikbalang."

_"Would explain the demonic child, and the very pissed off cop."_

Dean glanced over at his sister. "A Tik-a-whata?"

"A tikbalang. They're a kind of horse man demon. They have the arms, legs and torso of a man, and the feet, hands, and head of a horse. They're more tricksters than anything else though, cause illusions, and in some scenarios can cause travelers to return to the same path just leading them in some demented circle."

_"Certainly explains our walker."_ Bobby stated thoughtfully.

"Let me guess, they require a human female to reproduce…" Dean thought back to the poor girl who had been jumped in the alley and was now dead. "How the hell did you come up with this just from the top of your head anyway, runt?"

Sam scoffed at the mention of her old nickname. "In Stanford I didn't just prepare for law school. Their libraries are expansive so I did a little digging on our unusual friends in my spare time."

"Don't suppose you can whip out its Achilles heel just from your noggin too?"

"Don't recall that bit of information…"

Bobby chuckled from the line. _"I'll hit up the library. Sam, look up what you can on your end."_

Dean frowned. "We should probably clean your wound and switch out those bandages, Bobby. Why don't you head back to the motel?"

_"Don't worry mom, I'll be home before dinner."_ Bobby groused before closing the line.

Sam rolled her eyes and pulled off the damp towel before snatching up the laptop from the bedside table. "And he calls us stubborn…"

Bobby returned to the motel room with food from the diner and a sour attitude. "Damn fool libraries now just cater to kids with their heads up their asses while reading love sick novels about vampires than supply the library with actual valuable source material. I'm surprised that stinking place even had a single set of encyclopedias."

The elder Winchester didn't had the heart to mention that the public didn't really have a need to find the best way to gank their usual buddies. Of course with his mood he didn't have the guts either. Dean rolled his eyes and took the bag of food away from Bobby opening each to look for his pie. "I take it you found nothing then."

"A whole steaming pile of it." Bobby grumbled. "Even checked the usual books I have with me and they say very little on our friend. If I was back at my home I'd have material up to my ears about this thing." He spotted Dean drooling over his found pie and swiped away the dessert. "What are you? A heathen? Eat first then pie."

"Fine, Grumpy." Dean grumbled back. "Just know I'm the one cleaning out your wound before bed. So play nice."

Bobby dug out his own meal. "Where's your sister?"

"Just finished showering." Dean jerked his thumb towards the bathroom door.

"Well, I'm going to my room and eat. Thought I'd drop off food for you two yahoos. Since you're planning on redressing the wound then I suggest you come over now and do it now."

Dean followed the man to his room and broke into the well used medical kit. Through Dean cleaning and bandaging the wound Bobby had harsh comments to say about Dean, his fool sister, and their far more foolish father. After Dean had taped the last of the bandage down he was pushed out of the room harshly, and the door promptly slammed shut.

"Damn, that old man is grumpier than usual." Dean closed the door behind him and watched as Sam rubbed a towel through her damp hair.

Content that her hair was no longer dripping, she ran her hair roughly through her hair as a temporary brush. "Yeah, ever since we got here he's been acting…off. I wonder what's going on with him?"

"Or why he even took this hunt in the first place." Dean frowned and picked up a now lukewarm meal. "I mean, if he takes a hunt, it's usually close to home."

Just like her brother had shown her years before Sam made three parts in her long hair and started to braid the long strands. "I'm going to ask him in the morning." She tied off the braid and reached down for her food. "And don't tell me it's a stupid idea, because Bobby would tell us that it's best to talk things out. Keeping everything in only makes the problem worse."

Dean shook his head. "Yeah, it's one thing to say, and it's an entirely different thing to follow your own rules. And you know Bobby made up a lot of rules he doesn't follow."

"Hmmm." Sam dramatically pinched her chin and glanced at the ceiling as if in deep thought. "I suppose you mean like, don't give out on the first date, or you're injured and need to go to the hospital. Oh wait, this is a good one- don't put yourself in unnecessary danger to save someone else."

"Very funny, Sam. All I know is that you start poking at Bobby and it probably won't end in a Kumbaya circle and emotional hugging." Dean wasn't appreciating the sarcasm that his little sister was giving him. "Besides as the oldest I make the rules and you follow them. Should be an easy concept."

"Whatever, General Winchester." Sam flipped her middle finger up causally in a salute. "I'm talking to him, and you my delusional brother can deal with the hugging."

**< <<>>>**

"So, what drew you into this particular hunt?" Sam didn't glance up as she dug into her cheese omelet.

Dean stayed invested in his bacon but Bobby looked up a little shocked at the question. Maybe Sam wasn't sounding as nonchalant as she wanted. The older hunter's fork full of eggs slowly went down into his plate. "I saw the odd stories in the paper and I came to investigate."

Sam ignored the swift kick she received from Dean under the booth. "Why didn't you call us?"

"I don't always sit on the sidelines playing Bosley, Angel. I can carry a little weight too."

"No, no. I get that. I'm just curious why this one jumped out at you?" Sam took in a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "I mean, usually you give Dean n' me a call whenever something happens far from home."

Bobby frowned. Sam sensed something churning within the older man. Dean himself was losing interest in his own food and watched the multitude of expressions parade across the veteran hunters face. The older man gripped the fork practically hard enough to bend the metal and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. With the movement Sam spotted a glint of light bounce off his hand.

"I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm a grown ass man, and if I want to hunt I'll pick whatever hunt I want." He moved to put down the fork in his hands.

He opened his mouth to say something but shut it quickly when the waitress came back through offering refills on their coffee. She must have felt the awkwardness in the air because she refilled quickly and zipped on to the next table without another word.

"Look. I'm sorry Bobby." Sam stated a little softer knowing what was now on his hand. Now everything made sense. Her father would start to act this way too sometimes. Even she got a little antsy herself whenever a particular date rolled around. "Anniversary?" She could recall the many times in her childhood when John became unbearable due to the date of their parents anniversary.

At the mention of the word Bobby shot his hand to cover the other, as if to protect the gold ring. Both Winchester knew Bobby had been married. They knew that she was gone, and whatever happened to stick her six feet under had caused Bobby to jump into the hunting life. That was one of the bonds that had made their father and their adoptive uncle good friends.

"Balls." Bobby glanced at both of the concerned Winchesters and knew he wasn't getting out of the situation without an emotional moment. Dean might have let him stew if he'd retreated to his motel room, but Sam would pick the lock and make sure a chick flick scene would happen. "Yeah, Anniversary; but I'm fine. House was getting too stuffy. Thought I'd take a little time, hunt. Didn't expect to get stabbed and have you yahoos rush in to save the day."

"Bobby…I-" Sam froze her mind drifting to Jessie and all the smiles he gave. All the dates they had gone on. Every playful note he'd left on his pillow whenever he got up before her for class. "I may not have been married. I may not be close to the number of years you and Karen were together, but I do understand the feeling of hurt that an anniversary brings around. Every time January 3rd rolls around I get in a bit of a funk myself. My mind drifts to all the good things, and some of the enduringly annoying things that Jessie would do. And I cry, and I drink a little more than I should…"

Sam reached across the table and gripped Bobby's shaking hand. "I guess what I'm saying is, you can talk to us anytime Bobby. You're family. We'll be there for you whether the situation calls for a gun, or a shot of whisky."

Seeing the old man was getting emotional, and that was making the gruff veteran hunter feel awkward Dean smirked and smacked her hand out of his. "Speak for yourself Sam. Winchester Men do not have chick-flick moments. Even if alcohol is involved."

"Yeah." Bobby's eyes were damp, but for the first time a real smile drew across his lips. "Singer Men don't do emotional girly feelings either."

"You two are impossible." Sam huffed with an air of playfulness.

"I'll have to agree with you there, Sam-Ham." A man slid into the booth next to Bobby and smiled wide. It didn't take too long for the three to recognize him.

"Trickster?" Dean sputtered. "But I-"

The god in the booth grinned sarcastically. "Yes, you killed me. Good job, Deano." The man grinned wide and thumbs upped the gawking man. "You forgot one thing, I'm the Trickster. I fooled you. And before you start going to reach for you gun, don't. The bullet won't kill me, and I'm not the one you're looking for in this situation. In fact…I'm here to help you get rid of the sucker."

"Like we're inclined to believe you." Bobby was already glancing around the room trying to locate potential exits, and weapons.

"Look, as much as it pains me to help you dum dums, this time I'm being sincere." He pulled out a sucker from nowhere and waved it dramatically. "This guy is seriously an asshole, and as much as I dislike you hunters, I dislike tasteless hacks like him much more."

Sam gave the deity a quizzical look and leaned back in the booth realizing that they were stuck between a rock and a hard place with this situation. Either the Trickster meant to trick them again, or was he really wanting help, and he was one of the last people that she'd want to help. "Okay, say we believe you. Why do you want a fellow trickster put down?"

"We met at a bar in Maine. Got to talking, at first he was pretty cool. We discussed a few of our tricks, had a few beers. It was kind of nice." The Trickster unwrapped the sucker and popped it in his mouth. "We started discussing family, and he figured out who my family was."

"Which is?" Dean questioned.

"Personal Deano." The Trickster waved his finger as if admonishing a child. "Not really a topic we're going to start now. Let's just say that I want to stay away from them as long as possible and if my friend contacts them it won't be pretty." He inhaled deep and blocked off any comments that any of them were starting. "So, I want you. To put him down. If you take care of horse man I leave you alone, for a time."

Sam's eyebrow rose. "For a time? What a deal."

"Hey, take it or lose it Sammy-Hammy. This is practically a get out of jail free card."

Bobby grunted uncomfortably as the trickster's shrug caused the deity to bump shoulders with the hunter. "So why don't you put the guy down yourself. You can create some solid images that can cause major damage."

"I would, but the guy has some serious mojo against-" The Trickster god paused. "-gods. I can't do anything against the guy. Soooo-"

"You need us. I assume that you know what his weakness is…" Sam took a calm sip from her coffee ignoring the anger radiating off her two partners. If he was really coming to them for help then maybe he might know the weakness that they couldn't find. "So what is it?"

"Surprised you haven't found it already." He gave Sam a quick wink to which she snorted and Dean snarled. "After all you did get the brains and the beauty." Another wave of his hand and he procured a book opened to a page with a crudely drawn horse man. The muscles were wide and rather than hands and feet there were hooves in their place. "So obviously, he's not built the same way. Sure he can conjure up a disguise, but in his real form he has a mane. Now the mane isn't just hair like you're typically used too, they're sharp spines. Three of the individual spines are made of pure gold."

Sam nodded. "I found that. But the spines only pertain to the taming of the demon."

"Not so. If you were looking to tame it, you'd use a rope soaked in a special blend of herbs. However if you're looking to kill it, those three golden spikes are the only thing tethering the creature to this world. If you take away all three of his gold spines, he gets banished back to hell, and until he retrieves those three spines he's stuck there."

"That would require it to be completely still…" Dean said softly. "Or-"

"Exactly." The Trickster flipped his hand and the book dissolved. A truck driver at the counter gawked at the scene not sure if what he saw had been real. "You'd have to have a good old fashioned rodeo if he's still awake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I didn't write this with the intention to create a Sabriel story. I thought then- and now, that Gabriel would flirt with anything female.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They follow a lead

The Trickster didn't stick around long after that. He dodged around a few questions as to why he was running from his family, and offered little assistance to where to find the tikbalang. The only thing he offered before slipping out of the booth and out the door was, "He's half horse dum dums. Figure it out."

Dean tried to follow him, but the man seemed to dissolve the second he slipped out the door. All Dean felt was a brusque wind that kicked up the dirt around the stairs to the diner then it was as if the guy had never been there at all. He returned to the booth slightly defeated.

"Man I thought I killed that joker." Dean frowned. He stabbed at his plate more than necessary.

Sam shrugged apologetically. "Can't win them all…" Dean gave her a sour look. "Hey, I wanted him dead too. I had to replace my laptop after the sabotage he pulled against us, we wasted good money on purchasing new tires so we could leave the town in the first place, and he killed people. Even if they slightly deserved it."

Bobby threw down a few bills and stood up from the booth. He gestured towards the door. "We need to talk, but back at the motel. I'm sure anything more we have to say isn't something we want the locals to overhear."

As Sam stood up to join the men at the door a slip of paper that had been sitting on her lap floated to the ground with sloppy, sloped handwriting. Sam bent down and picked up the paper and read over the contents. She clamped her lips shut and motioned the two men watching her to go on. Sam folded the paper in half and slipped it in her pocket. It wasn't pulled back out of the pocket until they'd cross the street and were at the door to their motel room. Sam read through the slip again as Dean pushed open the door.

"So what is it?" Dean asked as he walked into the room and waited patiently behind the door as Bobby and his sister filed in.

"A list." Sam passed the paper to Dean.

Dean read through the sloped writing rolling his eyes when at the top it stated 'To the Dum Dum's, since you morons can't put two and two together'. "Really wish I'd killed him…" He read through the list and frowned. "So what's with the list of herbs." He finally got the bottom where Loki had put 'Bet you Deano doesn't get it first try'. Yeah he desperately hoped to run a stake through the heart of that deity one day.

"It's the herbs we need to soak the rope in." Bobby stated over Dean's shoulder.

Dean thought back to the conversation and recalled a very specific type of rope taming the creature. "Okay. So we can still him with a rope. Who knows how to rope a horse though? That wasn't part of Dad's training."

"That's not the root of the problem though." Sam frowned. "How do we find him? He can disguise himself. He could be anywhere…"

"Maybe not anywhere…" Bobby stated a little quietly from the corner of the room. He was at the set of drawers where the motel had conveniently left pamphlets on the fun stuff to do while in the small town. He lifted up a specific pamphlet with horses offering peaceful rides on wooded paths. "He's half horse…" Bobby mirrored the Trickster's comment from the diner.

Sam smiled wide and took the pamphlet from the older hunter. "Good place to defiantly start. We could look around. He's classified as a demon so the place, if he were there, would have the air of sulfur around it."

"Dean, why don't you go and pick up the ingredients on the list." Bobby directed. "I defiantly think before we investigate we should have the rope handy. Sam, look up everything you can on our friend, down to the smallest detail. We need anything that can make the demon stand out."

****

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**  
**

Dean parked the Impala in a field just a few steps away from the converted farm house. Somewhat reluctantly he stepped out and glanced at the field where horses of a variety of colors stood grazing lazily. "So, we're really just going to pay to ride horses? I'm sorry, but engines were created for a reason…"

"It's relaxing Dean." Sam scoffed her brother gently as she shut the passenger closed behind her. "And it's fun. Jessie took me horseback riding on one of our dates."

"Bet you melted all girl-like." Dean chuckled.

"Maybe I did jerk, but seeing as I'm a girl I think that would be okay."

"Whatever bitch. One loses serious man points the second they start planning horseback riding as dates."

Sam turned and looked at her brother, a wide grin setting on her face. "Oh, he may have lost man points, but let's just say that when we weren't on the horses was the better half of the date." She passed up her brother who had stilled. "Of course I assume that makes up for the lost man points."

Bobby prodded Dean ahead of him laughing. "Keep moving, Dean."

"Does this horseback-riding crap really work?" Dean asked jerking his thumb towards the stables.

Bobby rolled his eyes and ignored the man. "Come on Dean."

"No really! Does it?" Dean jogged to catch up with the older man. "Bobby!?"

Sam was already walking to the stables where the stable hand had caught sight of the group. She felt an air of unease as he watched not only her, but Bobby and Dean, walk up to him. Something about his stare just didn't read as normal. Even Bobby shifted a little uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Hi," Sam stuck out her hand when she was close enough. "Names Sam Manson, I set up an appointment for three on the trail."

The man took her hand reluctantly and gave a weak shake despite the evident bulk on him. "Stan. I'm just the helper. If you're looking for the lady in charge then she's in the stables."

Sam gave him a warm smile even though she wanted to rush away from the man. "Thank you, Stan. I have to tell you, that my brother here." She gripped Dean's arm and dragged him up. She placed both hands on the bewildered Winchester's shoulders. "My brother here is pretty petrified of riding. Never done it before. Have you been working here long enough to know the temperament of the horses? We'll need one sweeter than pie."

Dean was about to threaten bodily harm to his baby sister but a woman with auburn hair and streaks of grey in between stepped out of the barn wiping dirty hands on a pair of jeans. "Stan here is pretty new, been here just a few weeks. Don't worry though; I have a mare named Sugar Cube. She's about as sweet as her name." The woman glanced over at Stan. "Why don't you brush her out and saddle her up. You can take this young man so he can get a feel for the horse before he has to mount her."

At the last part of her request Dean sputtered, but Sam shoved him after Stan who scowled deeply. "Thank you so much." Sam fought out all the humor in her tone and sounded as sincere as she possibly could.

The woman tutted. "Not a problem my sweet. I'm Sandra. Sandra Morrison." She eyed Sam and took the hand Sam offered to her and this time Sam got a firm no nonsense shake. Mrs. Morrision turned her attention to Bobby who flushed slightly as the woman eyed him a long while. It was a few minutes before the woman turned her attention to Sam again. "Now Ms. Manson I believe you stated that you had some experience on horses."

"I've ridden a few times. Not quite ready for jumping, but I won't fall off a horse." Sandra nodded her head and looked thoughtful. "I think you'd do well with Penny. As for you-" She appraised Bobby again. "How experienced are you?"

"Ma'am?" Bobby asked fingering his ring and spinning it around his finger.

"With riding?" Ms. Morrision smirked. "Sorry I didn't quite catch your name, sugar." The endearment was drawn out much longer than it should have been.

"Bobby." He sputtered. He threw Sam a stern look when she stifled a chuckle. "I'm certainly not the best, but I've ridden."

"How long has it been since your last ride, Bobby?"

Bobby squirmed under her gaze. "Can't quite remember ma'am. Oh, I think your brother might need some help with his-" Bobby paused. "horse-phobia. I'd better go help him. It was nice meeting you Ms.-"

"Sandra, please."

"Nice meeting you, Sandra."

Sam had never seen the old man move so fast. He wasted no time in following Dean into the stall and getting out of the scrutinizing gaze of the very cheeky woman. Sandra seemed to wilt a little when Bobby was gone, but a spark remained in her eyes. Oh Sam could tease Bobby for the rest of his life for this.

"So let's head back to the office, I'll have you sign some paperwork, and we can have you all set up and ready to ride." Ms. Morrison pointed in the direction of the farm house and Sam followed her into the establishment.

It was clear that the building had been an old farm house, not only from the outside, but the inside as well. The kitchen was set up as a waiting room, but it still retained the classic rooster design, and the very floral wallpaper that was near peeling off the wall. Sam followed the pleasant woman into the living room where an office had been set up filled with pamphlets promoting not only their horse riding, but other businesses in the area. Amongst the very country decorations on the wall were photos of customers smiling on their rides, one even depicting a romantic picnic scene with a two horses tied off on a tree in the background.

Sam glanced at a photo on the wall depicting a smiling Ms. Morrison pressed up against what appeared to be another man. A banner in the back read grand opening. Sam squinted and read the date on the banner. "How long have you been in business?" Sam asked allowing a hint of pleasantness in her tone. She didn't balk under the stare she got from the woman when she paused from rifling through her desk for the paperwork. "I mean, just look at this place. It's amazing."

"Oh, we've been open about a year." Sandra didn't meet her eye. She waved the newly found papers and slid a pen across the desk. "Here, if you'll sign the paperwork I can have the other horses saddled and ready for you and your family to start riding."

"Okay." Sam walked over to the desk. "What am I signing?"

Sandra went over the forms about liability in case someone fell off or injured themselves, and a clear understanding that alcohol wouldn't be tolerated. Sam didn't focus on what she was being told to sign though. Her mind was mulling over the lie. She'd seen very clearly the date on the banner for their grand opening, and it wasn't a year ago. It was hardly a month. Just around the time the trouble started up. Something was going on around here and it didn't just stick with Stan the antisocial hand.

Sandra pressed the push pen to Sam's palm. "Okay, just sign on the lines and we'll have you all set up."

"Sure." Sam righted the pen in her hand and pushed down on the catch to release the point. She faltered when she felt a prick and glanced down at her thumb. Blood slowly oozed from a very small pin prick on her thumb. Shit, did she just-? Sam glanced up mid thought and saw Ms. Morrison stepping away from the desk. The world spun dangerously. "Wha- What did you?"

Sandra pulled the pen from Sam's hand and gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. Really I am. But you know brother's they tend to get into a lot more trouble than their worth. If he hadn't caused all that chaos in town…" Sandra slowly cut off and shook her head.

Sam felt the air press down on her, and she wilted slightly grasping the desk with white knuckles. Brothers? Sam turned her head towards the entrance when she heard the door slam open and the sound of struggling and cursing Dean. A second later her brother was propelled into the room by Stan the helper with one hand and the other hand dragging behind a knocked out Bobby sporting a large goose egg on his forehead. Dean caught his balance and put a hand to the shoulder that had been twisted behind his back for the walk over.

"D'n." Sam slurred. Her legs finally gave out and she slid to the ground.

"Sam?!" Dean finally spotted his sister turning green in the face and slump to her butt on the ground. She rested her head against the desk like it weighed a ton. Shoulder forgotten Dean rushed to his sister and took her head in his hands. Her eyes were closed so he prodded both open with his thumbs. She was alive, but out of it. "What the hell did you do to her?"

"She'll be fine. For now." Sandra scoffed lightly. She wobbled the pen in her hands. "She unfortunately pricked herself with some tranquilizer when she was signing some paperwork. Darn pen seems to have a needle in there."

"You bitch!" Dean let Sam's head droop onto his shoulder and he gripped the back of Sam's shirt tight.

The offending pen was tossed back on the desk. "Ease up cowboy. She got a small dose. It's not going to kill her." The woman gave a nod in Bobby's direction keeping her gaze tightly on her brother. Stan nodded back and tossed his sister Dean's gun. "I cannot say the same about your gun, however. I'm afraid that if you don't start moving towards the basement there may be a bullet lodged somewhere painful."

"What the hell lady?"

"Let me put it in more simplistic terms. Pick her up and carry her. I'll follow behind and lead you to the basement. Any funny business, and she'll be dead weight."

****

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**  
**

_"I already said sorry."_ A petulant voice that seemed to filter through static.

_"You think that's enough? You run around causing chaos in town and lure hunters in, and you think sorry is going to cut it this time. I'm supposed to protect you."_ A stern voice, filled with anger, worry, and concern. Older sibling? Mother? Both voices sounded far away though.

_"Hey! Hey, Sam. You coming 'round?"_ A more familiar voice this time. Closer. Much closer. _Dean._

_"I was bored."_ There was the petulant voice again. It sounded like it was being filtered through a door. A very thin door…

_"Damn it Sam. Open your eyes."_ Dean. He was worried.

_"I'm responsible for you. Dad put me in charge; he told me that my job was to make sure that you survived. And I can't promise that if every time you get bored you run around causing all manner of trouble. He always said stay under the radar."_ This time it was harder. Dean could very well have said this. For a second Sam nearly thought he had but the voice was had the filtered sound and was decidedly female. She was speaking more but the voice was moving away and she couldn't figure the words anymore; just recognized the concerned tone.

Dean was getting angry. This wasn't good. _"I swear Sam, you don't start bitching…I'm going to sing. Loud. Metallica."_

"D'n…" Sam's eyes were still leaden but she managed to groan out the word.

"Thank God." Dean breathed more than spoke.

Feeling was slowly returning to her abused body. "Nu S'ng."

"Everyone's a damn critic." Dean's tone stayed light though; relief pouring through every syllable. "How's your head."

"She probably feels lousy, Dean." This time Bobby spoke. No grouched. "I feel lousy too. So quit talking so loud."

Sam's eyes pried open finally and she moved to rub at her sensitive head, only they didn't work. Ignoring the little black dots in her vision she curled inward to see what the problem was. Rope. Thick course rope kept both of her hands bound together in front of her. Of course. Sandra. The pen. The tikbalang.

"Sandra-" Sam started and gulped back bile. "-she's-"

"One of them. We got the memo Sam. Apparently Tikbalang's just aren't gender specific." Dean sighed.

Sam's dazed eyes looked around for where his voice was coming from. The only things that she could piece together was that her hands were bound and she was in some basement, with a single naked bulb lighting the space the best it could. The only thing down there with her were multiple crates in stacks scattered around the room. There were a set of concrete steps leading to a thin wooden door. Where was her brother? Where was Bobby?

"Hey, Sam. I need you to get out of those ropes. You gotta get me n' Bobby out."

"Bobby and I." Bobby spoke up again humor very evident in his tone.

"Whatever. Hell of a time for an English lesson." Dean snarled back.

Sam squirmed and tested the rope. "Wh're are you?" The rope had enough slack that Sam figured she could weasel her way out. She just had to wake up enough, and gather the strength. "I can't see you."

"Behind you." Dean called out. "She has us strung up like a Christmas tree. I assume she expected you out longer, she didn't seem to put the same detail on your restraints."

Of course. She was only looking at half of the basement, naturally there would be an entirely other half to match. Why wasn't she thinking straight? Oh yeah, the drugs. "You 'kay? How long?"

"You've only been out for about fifteen minutes. She didn't lie when she'd said it was a small dose."

Sam frowned as she continued to loosen up the ropes with more strength this time to back up the motion. "You okay?"

"Son of a bitch, Sam. I'm fine. I got banged around a little, but I'm not the one who's drugged." She imagined the frown she heard in Dean's tone.

Typical Dean Winchester was playing their father's game, never putting any concern on themselves only caring for the safety and health of others. Of course Sam did it too. She was a Winchester after all. However when she tried to worry about them it always wasn't accepted well. Morons. She grunted a little unhappy and nearly felt her blood slicked wrist slip loose from the loop. "What about you, Bobby?"

"Got a good sized lump on my head, but I'll survive, girl."

She could feel both men's eyes boor into her back as she squirmed against the ropes. Finally her left hand slipped out. She didn't bother untying the other. Fighting back nausea Sam pushed up from the ground and sat back on her haunches. "I'm coming. Just gimmie a sec." She waited for the world to stop spinning around before she glanced to the right.

Dean and Bobby were both bound to some solid looking wooden chairs. Both of their wrists were resting on the arms and tied down securely, and their legs were attached to the legs of the chair as well. She had even laced rope around their shoulders and their waist.

"Damn." Sam wobbled as she placed her feet unsteadily underneath her. "You're both wrapped up-" She paused, putting a hand to the ground to steady herself and another to her lips to fight back any remnants of lunch crawling back up. She got a hold of herself and kept going up into a standing position. "-Wrapped up like presents under a tree."

"Just get us out." Bobby moaned tugging uselessly at the rope holding his wrist down. "Dean's supposed to come up with the snarky comments. Not you. You're supposed to be the touchy feely one."

The girl's mouth opened to make back a retort, but her head turned to the door to the basement as the knob twisted. Sam cursed sharply as the door open and the woman thundered down the stairs at the sight of her freed prisoner. Sam hadn't quite made it to assist Dean or Bobby yet, so she did the second best thing she could think of. She dug into her boot and pulled out a small dagger. She tossed it at the seat her brother was sitting at trusting her aim to hit the arm of the chair and embed itself in the circle of rope holding down his wrist. That was all she could manage though. The next second Sandra slammed hard into Sam's body and Sam felt a hand grip her throat and pin her to the brick walls.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the Monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so as I said at the beginning. You look up the creature I wrote about, and you'll notice I took liberties with their lore.

"Sam!" Dean and Bobby's voices both rang out in concern, as Sam was shoved up against the wall.

"I should have taken more caution." Sandra snarled. She ignored Sam's frantic attempts at wrenching away the hold on her neck. "I wasn't expecting my little concoction to wear off quite so quickly, but I usually don't get hunters…your height."

Her throat screamed with the strain but Sam knew Dean wasn't getting out unless Sandra was distracted. "A lot of people underestimate me." She gave a hoarse chuckle and continued to claw at the hand pinning her pounding head to the wall. "This certainly wouldn't be the first time." She managed a strangled gasp as Sandra pressed her thumb hard over her windpipe.

"You want to know something girl." Sandra gave Sam a look over. "You are a pretty thing. You see my brother was just mentioning how nice you look. Seeing as he's so eager to start up a family we could work with his plan. Kill off your brother and let you entertain mine. Course I'll have to save Bobby for myself. He looks like he's got some use."

Despite the dire situation Sam caught Dean throwing Bobby a humor filled glance and Bobby making a firm face.

The finger moved from her windpipe and Sam sucked in a breath. The ground rushed up to meet her as Sandra released her hold on her throat. Despite her aching throat Sam felt the adrenaline cancel out her drugged state. "So how does this work?" Sam bent over to cough after choking out the statement. "Your family dynamic? Older sister protects, and brother makes the babies. Why don't you just start up a family yourself?"

Sandra didn't speak. She pressed her lips thinly together and her gaze darkened.

"Oh, I get it." Sam broke into a small coughing spell before continuing. "Only men can reproduce. That's why when your daddy had you, he didn't stop. He had to have a son. Someone to continue on the species."

"First off. My brother is a moron. Without me he would have been killed ages ago. And you know what, maybe I can't help repopulate my kind, but the female of the species are revered. We are viewed as strong and able."

Sam scoffed her hand straying to her throat as she used the other to push herself back up. "Sure. I can really see that. I mean how much trouble did your brother cause? You allowed him to run around impregnating virgins, and causing people to see things that would only attract hunters."

"He is petulant, unfortunately." The woman sounded resigned.

Dean had his second wrist free and was now sawing at the ropes pressing him to the chair. He needed more time to get himself and Bobby out.

"I gotta know though. You tend to work through illusions, so how, did your brother manage to dismantle the chief of police's truck and put it in his tiny office. In under an hour." There wasn't much she could do but distract the demon. The only weapon that had been left on her was the dagger in her boot, and Dean currently was using that. Right now all Sam could do was use her strength, and still slightly drugged and against an all powerful demon that didn't account for much. So Sam did the only thing she could, she squared off when and stood prepared for when the horse demon attempted to attack again.

Sandra paused though, the question lingering in the demon's mind. "I didn't know he…" She cut off. "Stupid little Shit. Number one rule when trying to stay incognito do not mess with law enforcement."

"Why?"

Both Sam and Sandra turned at the exclamation. Sam bit out a curse realizing that they were out of time. Demon number two was coming. Sure enough the light at the doorway was blocked as Stan glanced down at the scene.

"What can they hope to do against something like me anyways?"

Sandra opened her mouth to gripe back at him but her eyes froze on Dean already out of his chair and sawing at Bobby's second wrist. "The little bitch was distracting me." She snarled. "No more stalling. We kill them all."

"No." A scream tore out of Sam's abused throat and she leapt up circling her arms around the woman's neck.

She held on tight as the woman bucked and fought her arms remaining as strong as steel bands. The woman growled her tone more animalistic and angry than Sam had heard before, and she was growing. The petite 5 foot woman was now rising higher off the ground the conservative cloths tearing at the seams as her muscles grew and widened. Sam shifted her body to the side as spikes grew along her elongating neck, one dark spine poking through her shirt and ripping it. The last to change were her feet and hands. They seemed to cave in and harden into unshod hooves.

"Sam!" Dean called sharply. He'd given up on trying to free Bobby after releasing the man's wrists and was letting him handle the rest of the ropes. Dean unwound a long enough section from his own ties and tossed it high in the air where Sam caught it. He didn't have too much time to worry about her though. He heard the thundering steps coming down the stairs and knew that little brother was on his way.

Sam gripped the rope and looped it hastily around the strained neck. She nearly got pushed off but finally got the rope in a tight loop and had it held firmly in one of her hands. She had to calm down. Think back to riding a horse; riding a bucking, violent, demonic half horse. She held her own as the demon flailed about retreating into animalistic nature. Okay no time to dawdle. Gold spines. She spotted one further down the mane. Sam ignored the spines poking at her hands as she, in an uncoordinated manor, reached down to grip it. It was hard work but it pulled out after a third firm tug.

Sandra gave a harsh scream, and bucked harder nearly dislodging Sam's legs that were firmly wrapped around her torso. Sam wasn't sure if it was in the state of panic or self preservation that she started thinking more and using her arms to pound hard hooves on already aching leg muscles.

Bobby had gotten himself free and shoved his hand into his jacket feeling for the coil of rope. "Balls." The demons must have cleaned him out. He slipped his hand inside the seam of his jean pocket and ripped the lose stitching hiding an extra pocket. He yanked out a thin vial just enough for one more dose. Not wasting any time he grabbed up a long enough coil of rope and started rubbing the herbal concoction onto the material. He took his time to make sure every inch was covered despite his painful awareness of Sam's bucking ride with the sister, and Dean's failing fist fight with the younger brother.

While the older sister seemed more occupied with trying to dislodge the Winchester from her back, the younger brother was busy trying to distract Dean from the fight the best he could. Dean shivered slightly when rats appeared beneath his feet running in between and even through them. Unfazed Dean continued to fight ducking beneath blows and getting in a few good hits, that would have gravely injured a human. Clowns didn't get a rise out of Dean either. Dean only chuckled and informed Stan that it didn't work on him. Wrong sibling. When that didn't work Stan stepped up his game. Everything seemed to appear. Models waved coyly and beckoned Dean over for a little fun. Unicorns pranced back and forth. Leprechauns danced in a circle with their hands laced.

Everything seemed to be going to hell in the small basement, and Bobby was done with the ridiculous situation. He ran through the multiple illusions plaguing the room and jumped up, while Stan was distracted swinging his hoof at Dean's face he launched the loop high up over the creatures head. Stan stilled almost instantly muscles quivering. All the illusions disappeared, and Dean was partially sad to see the busty models go with them.

According to the Trickster he was now in control. "Down!" Bobby barked harshly. He watched unemotional while Stan collapsed in a heap. "I've got him Dean go help-" He didn't even get sister out. Dean was already on his way.

Sam dropped the gold spine and heard the metal clatter as it hit the concrete ground. One down, two to go. Somewhere in the spinning room she heard Dean call out her name. She felt the demon stumble and made sure to hold on to the rope even as she unlatched her aching legs and jump nimbly to the side. The demon landed hard on her face and despite landing on her feet Sam felt her legs give and she thumped hard on her butt.

Dean got up from his sprawled position, and untangled his arms from her legs. He swiped at a bleeding nose and panted harshly. "You got one?"

"Yeah-" Sam was out of breath after having been choked and riding on the back of the demon. "Bobby have the rope?"

"Yeah." Dean echoed her. He took the stunned stillness as a gift and continued to gaze amongst the sharp spines for another gold one. "Stan the hand took the initial rope, but he had the extra vial sewn into his pocket."

Sam found the second and had yanked it out just as the she-demon shook off both Winchesters. Sam tumbled to the ground but not before one of the spikes launched shot off her mane and towards her brother. Sam took her brother down in a tumble and rolled them behind a set of crates, where two more spines embedded into the wood.

"Crap." Sam breathed.

"I know. Trick Boy didn't mention anything about that." Dean bit out pushing off the ground watching as Sandra stood up fuming at the Winchesters.

"No…" Sam inhaled sharply, leaned up against the back of the crate, and pressed her hand to her leg. "There's one in my leg."

"Shit, Sam." He ducked his head down and trailed her leg until he saw the spike. It went through the meaty fat of her leg and it didn't appear to spear through any arteries. "You're going to be fine. It's just going to hurt like a bitch."

"How do you know it isn't poisoned?" Sam asked, although behind the tone there wasn't any fear just pain.

The question sent an icy spike of fear through his heart. He didn't know. All he knew was that she was going to come out of this okay, or he for damn sure wasn't. "You're going to be fine." He repeated harsher. He poked his head back up and catalogued where the demon was. He ducked his head in time to avoid another spike sailing toward his head.

"You can't be sure." She gave a pained grin further poking at her brother.

Dean wasn't amused. "I can be and I am, Sam." Dean gritted his teeth harshly. Oh this bitch was going down. Hard.

A guttural scream echoed through the basement drawing both the Winchesters and Sandra's attention away from their fight. Bobby had pulled the last of the gold spines from the tranquilized demon's back. The solid figure burst into a black cloud causing the herb soaked coil to go slack. The black cloud seemed to scream as it sank into the ground.

"No!" Sandra rushed forward trying to catch any remnants of the cloud but it slipped through her fingers and disappeared. She smacked at the ground cracking the concrete and wailed. Bobby slipped behind the distracted demon and raised the coil to put it over the she-demon's head but she spun around smacking the coil and the man away. "You killed him. You killed my brother."

"I've got no sympathy lady."

Bobby's response was to flick out the small dagger he'd dosed in the remaining herbs and throw it with the hopes that it would stall her and give them a little time. She ripped out the dagger and tossed it aside as well scoffing at the trinket. "You think that was going to kill me?" Her hand shot out and she gripped Bobby by the throat. "You're cute, I'll give you that, but besides that you've got nothing else going for you." Before she could squeeze though she froze. Her mouth set into a small circle. "Oh."

The grip on Bobby's throat was lost and the old man backed up while the second demon collapsed into a cloud of black and sank towards the ground leaving behind a panting Dean holding the last of the gold spines. He glanced around the room at the six spines left behind and then his gaze landed on Bobby. A wide grin washed across his face. "So you're cute, huh?"

"Shut up." Bobby griped. He stooped to pick up one Sam had tossed while on the back of the demon. "How's your sister?"

"She's fine, and can speak for herself." Sam was pushing herself up using the crates. Her leg bled sluggishly and onto her jeans. Dean's eyes narrowed when he noticed the spine missing from his little sister's leg. Moron had pulled it out. That was against first aid code number one.

"Why on earth did you pull it out?" Dean snarled harshly stomping his way to his sister.

"Because it hurt." Sam grimaced as she stood. "Damn my legs are going to be bruised to hell."

"Sit back down!" He gripped her shoulders firmly and pushed butt down on the crate that she was leaning on. "If they hurt so damn much why are you trying to stand on them? Why do you have to be so stubborn Sam?"

"Are you going to stab me again?" Sam asked deadpanned as she stared at her brother.

Dean was put a little off guard. "What?!"

"You keep waving around the spine you're going to stab me with it. Care to put it down?" Sam glanced down at her legs and started to feel the tender skin.

Dean realized through his rant he had been waving around the spine. "Just because you changed the topic doesn't mean you can get your ass off this crate. Bobby and I will collect the spines and we'll get the hell out of here."

"Already got them, idjit." Bobby held up the five remaining in his hand. He walked over to Dean and took the sixth out of his hand. "I just need to wipe away any of our DNA left in this place, but you can get Sam situated in the car if you're done yelling at her."

"The horses…We need to call someone to make sure the horses stabled get taken care of." Sam inhaled sharply when Dean helped her to stand up from the crate. She leaned against her brother

"Yeah, yeah. I'll let you call later. Let's just make sure that you're okay before you pick up the phone." Dean helped Sam hobble to the base of the stairs. He paused and glanced down at his sister leaning up against him. Dean glanced up the stairs and his lips turned down into a frown. He bent down and scooped up Sam under the shoulders and legs.

Sam squirmed in his hold. "Stop. I don't want the Princess hold!"

"Ease up Miss Independent. Just until we're done with stairs then you can hobble to your heart's content." Dean rolled his eyes as he set his legs out wide to accommodate her weight.

He took the steps slowly one at a time at the top he let Sam get back to her feet. At the patio he set her back down and drove the car, in dirt and mud, to closer to the house and helped her get inside. By the time he had her situated in the front seat Bobby had slipped out finished with wiping finger prints and cleaning away blood traces. Bobby tossed the weapons they'd been stripped of in the trunk of the Impala and Dean started up the engine and took off.


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrap up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry I haven't posted in a while. It's either been me being lazy, or me being busy. Being an adult is too fun!

It was ten when Dean finally stepped back into the motel room with a box of steaming pizza and a six pack. Sam looked up from her laptop curiously and Bobby startled from his half sleep on the bed. After inspecting the clock Bobby gave Dean a frown.

"Ease up you two." Dean laughed and placed the food and the alcohol on the small table in front of Sam. "The pizza place screwed up the order and I had to wait for them to make a second. Good thing is though I got a refund."

"It takes them two hours to cook up another pizza? And since when do you ever turn down any kind of pizza?" Sam asked her eyebrows twitching up.

Dean took the cap off one of the beers. "Since they put on the smelly little fish. And I did stop to get alcohol. After dealing with two horse demons I require something to take the edge off." Dean tilted his head back for a long drink and exhaled appreciatively once he came back up for air. It was only once he'd put down the bottle and was halfway out of his jacket that he noticed the two still cautiously watching him. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Just the usual ugly, boy." Bobby slipped the ancient looking tome off his lap and stood up. "Actually I was just curious if you knew anything about the report we heard over the police scanner?"

An innocent expression crossed Dean's face. Sam imagined that if he had included a halo and wings and it would have completed the image. "No, what did you two hear on the police scanner?"

"Apparently," Bobby drew out the word. "A few men were found in an alley way, beaten pretty bad. One of them had been shot, in the leg. The place they were found not too far away from the pizza joint, so we were just curious if you had seen anything…"

Dean wrinkled his face in thought. "No, can't say that I did. We'll I certainly hope the three guys are okay." Dean popped open the box and drew out a slice. "Is anyone else going to eat, because I can finish this thing by myself if you don't want any?"

"They were found in an alley behind a bar." Bobby continued.

Dean chewed slowly, and spoke with his mouth full of cheese and sauce. "Sounds like one crazy bar fight."

"The bar that I was stabbed at."

"You don't say."

"And the men fit the description of the guys who had cornered me." Bobby walked around Dean giving the man a purposeful look.

"Well if it was them, it certainly sounds like they got what was coming to them." Dean shrugged.

Bobby stayed silent for a little while and studied Dean's face. He clapped Dean on the shoulder and grabbed a beer. "Certainly does. Beer Sam?"

"Yeah." Sam grinned and reached for the beer with her unbandaged hand.

After reaching the motel room Dean had rubbed a muscle relaxing salve on her already severely bruising legs, wrapped wound on her leg and soaked it in holy water. It hadn't bubbled but she'd insisted her hand was fine (after Dean had found multiple puncture marks from the sharp spines Dean had pulled out the holy water and had already doused the wound. The wrapping was to stay on for a day. Just to be safe. Bobby had managed to avoid getting a nasty concussion despite the heavy metal bucket that had been swung at his head, and Dean had a cut on his cheek and a potential sprained wrist. Both had walked away with a few rope burns.

Sam folded her computer down and pulled off a slice of meat lovers. Before she could take a bite, a hand slipped the food away. Sam turned in her chair expecting Dean behind her but looked into the grinning face of Loki, the Trickster.

"Meat Lovers. Excellent choice, Dean Bean." The Trickster took a wide bite.

Bobby prepared for this moment pulled out a stake.

"Whoa, whoa. Ease up there." The trickster put up both hands dripping sauce and cheese onto the carpet. "I just came to congratulate you. You guys really pulled through."

"Yeah well we almost didn't. You failed to mention a few things, like there was a sibling involved, and oh-" Sam focused a study glare at Loki. "They shot spines off their mane."

"Oh Sandy?" Loki chewed thoughtfully. "I didn't have a beef with her. I just wanted little bro gone and out of the way. And if they resorted to shooting their spines, then feel honored. Not a whole lot of lore out there about that. It's sort of a last resort. Those things take centuries to grow you know. Shoot off one you don't grow it back instantly."

"You seriously think that's going to appease the situation." Bobby slammed his hand down.

Sam didn't cut off her glare. "You can kill him Bobby."

"Whoa, calm down. You know though, you're beautiful when you're angry." The trickster clicked his tongue appreciatively. He tangled a hand in her hair and lifted it up to his nose inhaling the girly shampoo. "We have got to hook up sometime."

"Look didn't we make a deal." Dean growled. He wrenched the god's hand away from his little sister and widened his shoulders as he slipped between the two. "We kill your friend, you leave us alone."

"For a time…" Loki reminded him.

"Oh so what it lasts, a few hours?"

"It last's however long I want it too." Loki chuckled and finished off the pizza slice, tossing the remaining crust into the box. "It didn't start until now."

"Okay so what are you still doing here? Get gone." Sam snapped.

The Trickster widened his arms in a mock curtsy. "As you wish, Buttercup."

She didn't even blink, and he was gone in an obnoxiously dramatic puff of smoke. Sam took a long drink from her beer and sighed. "Asshole."

Bobby tucked away the stake. "At least he's out of your hair for a spell."

"Yeah, but for how long?" Sam posed the question Dean wanted answered. How long did their gained immunity with the deity last? "He's going to pop back in at some point and start up with his bull shit again."

"Hey," Bobby put a hand to her shoulder, and gave both Winchesters a firm glance. "I don't know, but I do know that if you need the help. Call, I'm always there."

Dean and Sam looked at Bobby surprised at the sudden comment but had appreciation in their gazes.

Trying to hold back emotions Bobby cleared his throat. "I propose a toast." Bobby raised his glass and urged the Winchesters to follow. Both rose their cans slowly. "To everyone we couldn't help, and above all to always being there to back each other up."

Sam smiled at Bobby, and clinked cans together with her brother and Uncle.

"Now let's quit sitting around like a bunch of girls and dig into this meat lovers."

**Author's Note:**

> I, alone, write and edit these stories, and after originally posting these years ago- I still notice mistakes in grammar, spelling, or continuity. So let me know if you notice something off. I would prefer to correct my mistake, than be right all the time. ;D


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